Steering valves are commonly used in a variety of applications, such as in the nose of a commercial aircraft or in other vehicles, to assist with steering. Also referred to as a changeover valve or a swivel valve, the steering valve directs flow of hydraulic fluid for actuator pistons that control the steering of the vehicle. By rotating the position of the valve, the flow of fluid can be re-directed between one of two ports in order to control the inlet flow and the outlet flow to an actuator. Thus, as a result of the rotation and depending on the position of the valve, a vehicle can be steered in a desired direction.
To adjust the flow of fluid in known steering valves, a spool inside a housing is rotated so that a port of the housing lines up with one of the two ports positioned on a lateral plane on the spool. In order to create a tight seal and to minimize or prevent fluids from leaking during rotation between ports, a steering valve commonly requires that a spool and housing be very closely coupled together with minimal clearance. It may be costly, burdensome, and time consuming, however, to achieve such a tolerance requirement. In addition, the valve may lack durability and be prone to leaking which may result in a vehicle's steering mechanism malfunctioning or failing.